Category: Rosters

Updated rosters were released on the Cape League web site earlier this week. No major changes. These are the additions I found.

Chatham – Kurt Schluter – Stetson
Cotuit – Luke Maile – Kentucky
Falmouth – Chase Butler – Georgia Tech
Falmouth – Adam Duke – Oregon State
Falmouth – Jake Rodriguez – Oregon State
Orleans – Kurt Heyer – Arizona
Wareham – Barrett Astin – Arkansas
Y-D – Chris Taylor – Virginia
Y-D – Andrew Thurman – UC Irvine

Heyer is a nice addition for Orleans. The 6’2 righty was a standout as a freshman and has 12 strikeouts in two starts this season.

UCLA sophomore Trevor Bauer, one of the best pitchers in the nation, is no longer on the Yarmouth-Dennis roster. If that holds, it’s a huge loss. Bauer likely would have been the top incoming pitching prospect in the league. He’s 9-3 this year with a 2.95 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 94.2 innings. He ranks sixth in the nation in strikeouts and is tops among sophomores. He’s got three more than his highly-touted teammate Gerrit Cole.

In other changes, Vanderbilt’s Regan Flaherty, Kansas’ Lee Ridenhour and LeMoyne’s Jerome Werniuk are also no longer on the roster. There are three additions: NC State’s Cory Mazzoni, Stanford’s Brett Mooneyham and Florida’s Tommy Toledo. Mooneyham was one of the top lefties in the country coming out of high school two years ago but was considered unsignable because of his commitment to Stanford. Mooneyham has a 4.82 ERA this season as a sophomore. He has struck out 87 in 74.2 innings but he has also walked 57.

In recent roster news, the Wareham Gatemen have added Cape League veteran Max Perlman, while Orleans is bringing in Jason Esposito, who played for Falmouth last year.

Perlman has had his name mentioned in this space more than any other player who will be on the Cape in 2010. He’s a junior at Harvard, but his great freshman season was way back in 2007. After not pitching at all in the spring of 2008, he had a really good summer with the Gatemen. In his first chance to build on that summer in the spring of 2009, he suffered an elbow injury and missed the rest of the year. Perlman has made five starts this season as he works his way back from the injury. He’s taking the place of Indiana pitcher Blake Monar, who’s injured.

Esposito played for Falmouth last summer and didn’t hit all that well, but he has a prospect reputation and he’s having a huge spring for Vanderbilt. I was surprised that he wasn’t on any rosters initially, but the league’s preview says that Esposito will be in Orleans. Big addition, I’d say. Esposito is hitting .344 this spring with eight homers and a team-best 52 RBI.

Also, I haven’t seen anything on this from any teams, but Utah catcher C.J. Cron is apparently coming to the Cape if he doesn’t make Team USA. Cron, a catcher, is having a huge sophomore season. He’s hitting .418 with 15 homers and 55 RBI.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. March Madness got its hooks into me and wouldn’t let go.

Let’s play catch-up. Several new players have shown up on rosters. A few of the notables:

Freshman Brian Goodwin and sophomore Levi Michael are two North Carolina players who I was surprised weren’t on rosters from the beginning. They’re both on Harwich’s roster now. Goodwin is hitting .305, Michael .322. Michael played with the Mariners last year.

Three Baylor players are among the new additions. Freshman Max Muncy, who’s hitting .349 with six home runs, will play in Wareham, along with catcher Josh Ludy, who’s hitting .267. Dan Evatt is on the Harwich roster.

Florida State freshman Jayce Boyd, a 19th-round pick last year, is now on the Orleans roster. The infielder is hitting .329.

Cal State Fullerton two-way sophomore Nick Ramirez is on the Orleans roster, as well. A Freshman All-American last year, he’s hitting .302. On the mound, he’s got a 3.93 ERA out of the bullpen.